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I am not sore anymore after my workouts, am I still getting benefits?
By Christina | April 8, 2008
I have heard this question many, many times in my 22 years as a fitness professional. ”I used be sore the day or two days after a workout, but lately I don’t feel any muscle soreness at all. Does that mean I didn’t have a good workout? If I’m not sore the day after, does that mean I didn’t increase muscle or strength?”
Regardless of how it is worded, it seems that people tend to equate muscle soreness with workout effectiveness. This however is not the case. Muscle soreness is not an indicator of a good workout. Not feeling sore the day after your workout doesn’t mean your workout was ineffective or unproductive. As far as effectiveness, muscle soreness means nothing.
So why then do you only get sore some times and not others? Muscle soreness usually occurs when you make your muscles do something that they are not used to doing. When you first started working out, that was very likely when you experienced the most soreness. You probably felt those initial workouts for days, maybe even a week. As your body gradually became accustomed to the exercises, you experienced less and less muscle soreness until it reached the point where you were barely sore or even not sore at all anymore the day(s) after a workout.
Why then is there no soreness for workouts over a period of time and then all of the sudden you feel sore again? Well, as mentioned before, muscle soreness in the day or days following a workout is caused by your muscles having to do something they aren’t used to doing. So, if your chest workout for the last 2 months has consisted of the flat bench press, incline bench press, and dumbbell flyes, and this time you changed it to flat bench dumbbell press, decline bench press, and cable flyes, there is a very good chance you’ll be sore the next day. Was it because this workout or these exercises were better or more effective in some way? Not at all. It was only because you changed something (in this case exercises), and in doing so you caused your body to do something it wasn’t used to doing. This is what would cause muscle soreness.
Just like with your original workout, you will eventually stop feeling sore and perhaps again question the effectiveness of your routine. All that happened is that again your body has become used to the exercises or sequence. It’s not just changing exercises that may cause the muscles to be sore. It can be a change in the way you did the same exercises. Did you do more reps? Or maybe lift more weight? Were you on the treadmill or bike longer than last time? Did you increase intensity? Any of the above could be enough to cause muscle soreness the next day.
To answer your question, soreness does not mean you got a great workout, just a different one.
Topics: General, Personal Training, que-ans | 9 Comments »
July 10th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Thank you, my brother and I were just wondering about this so you’ve put our minds at ease
May 9th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Cleared some things up, been lifting heavier and was wondering why I didnt get sore.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
I was on this same thing. I wasn’t sure what was happening but i wasn’t feeling the soreness and began to get worried. good look.
October 8th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Thanks alot , You really helped me out with my wondering
October 31st, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Yup, thanks for this information, helped me out a bit.
December 17th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Hi there. My personal trainer firmly believes that if you not sore or stiff you not applying yourself correctly. I have never done weight training before, and have since started. In the beginning i was very sore, but now its managable. My trainer now wants to load more weight which i cant even pick up. Trainers reply is that your mind is resisting the weight and i need to train my body to cope. Just does not sound right
February 10th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
i just started working out and am not sore what does this mean?
June 22nd, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Anzel,
Your trainer is completely wrong. Maybe they were trained in old school thought, but soreness is not indication of a good workout. If you take your muscles to fatigue, with shaking and burning at the end of each set, this is the indication that you are working to your full potential! Also, proper stretching and self myofacial release (foam rolling) will relieve tightness and soreness for the next day as well, but doesn’t mean you didnt work hard.
February 14th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Yeah, my trainer believes the same thing
He also believes it has something to do with your diet, and not eating enough protein, but i’m not sure if that’s true